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data

It’s easy to see which households are connected to the grid, but regulatory commissions and utilities often lack information on supply interruptions, voltage levels or blackouts. It's a big reason so many Kenyans don't have reliable power.

Data is more than graphs, spreadsheets and computer models. As experts at the recent Eye on Earth Summit noted, when in the right format and right hands, data can reduce air pollution, halt deforestation and create new protected areas for threatened species.

Decision-makers need future projections on water supply and demand. However, most of these decision-makers operate at the administrative or political scales, and therefore require country-level projections.

The open data movement—the idea that certain data should be freely available to everyone—can drive innovation, make government and corporate activities more transparent and improve decision-making about natural resources.